Heidesand (Traditional German Browned Butter Shortbread Cookies)

A traditional German Christmas treat, Heidesand are delicious shortbread cookies that are made with browned butter. Â A personal favorite, we made these every Christmas growing up along with several other German holiday classics, a few of which Iâll be posting, so stay tuned!

Pronounced âhi-deh-sundâ, itâs an age-old classic German cookie, mostly eaten during the holiday season. Â Heidesand translates as âheath sandâ and has its origins in the LÃ¼neburger Heide, a beautiful heathland area in northern Germany that my family and I always loved visiting. Â The terrain is sandy (the cookiesâ namesake) and slightly hilly. Â In season it is covered in gorgeous purple heather. Â Most of it is a nature reserve and it is a popular north German tourist site.